Peterson Pharmacy: Ryans thank community for years of customer loyalty

Peterson Pharmacy, Marengo, closed its doors Saturday, Nov. 25, as owners Tom and Theresa Ryan retired after owning and operating the business on the town square for over a quarter of a century.(Photo: Melinda Wichmann)

Tom and Theresa Ryan, owners of Peterson Pharmacy, Marengo, shared those sentiments as they reflected on 28 and a half years as owners of one of the landmark business on the town square.

The pharmacy at the corner of Court Avenue and Washington Street closed its doors Nov. 25 after serving the community under the Ryans’ ownership since 1989. The Marengo Chamber of Commerce hosted an open house in the Ryans’ honor Sunday, Nov. 19, at Kinzenbaw Earthmoving.

Tom had worked as a pharmacist there for 41 years, starting part-time in 1976 when the business was owned by George and Doris Peterson.

“We’re very thankful for the loyalty customers have shown us through the years,” Tom said.

The couple’s involvement with the business began more than 40 years ago. Tom, a Marengo native, and Theresa, who grew up in Fort Atkinson, met on a blind date while attending the University of Iowa. They were married in 1970. Both graduated from the UI the following year, Tom with a degree in pharmacy and Theresa with a degree in interior design.

In 1976, Tom joined the Peterson staff as a part-time pharmacist. He also worked part-time as a pharmacist at Marengo Memorial Hospital. George and Doris Peterson operated the business from 1955 to 1985, when they sold it to their son, Gary. Prior to that, the building housed Denzler Pharmacy.

In 1996, the Ryans gave the Peterson Pharmacy building at the corner of Washington Street and Court Avenue an overhaul, replacing the roof and second story windows and tuckpointing the exterior. The structure has served as a pharmacy since the 1920s.(Photo: Courtesy photo)

“This building has been a pharmacy since the 1920s,” Theresa noted.

In 1989, Gary Peterson retired and Tom and Theresa bought the business from him, retaining the Peterson Pharmacy name. For more than two and a half decades, the Ryans have provided the Marengo community with a source for prescription medications, health care and beauty items, cards, gifts, home décor and Iowa Valley apparel.

In 1994, the couple purchased the building, which had been owned by a third party, and in 1996, gave it a much needed facelift. A new roof, tuckpointing the exterior brick and stonework and replacing the second floor windows gave fresh life to the vintage structure on the south side of the town square.

Theresa joined Tom at the store in 2001, working as a pharmacy tech and doing the business’s bookkeeping. Additional workers at the time of the store’s closing were Merrideth Carden, Jennie Von Lienen, Janet Gerard and Luke Ryan, the couple’s grandson.

The Ryans celebrated the 25th anniversary of their ownership of the business three years ago, in 2014.

“This is the true meaning of what a locally owned business is,” Tom said, reflecting on his years serving Marengo residents. “You become involved in people’s lives.”

After working behind the counter at Peterson’s for over four decades, Tom says he feels fortunate and blessed to have been able to serve his hometown for so many years. He and Theresa note watching multiple generations of families coming through the front door has been a rewarding part of their jobs.

Tom Ryan, back in his younger days.(Photo: Courtesy photo)

Their involvement with the community goes deeper than their business presence. Tom served on the Iowa Valley School Board for 18 years, including 15 as president. He and Theresa are members of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Marengo, where he is a former president of the parish council and she is currently president. Tom is a member of the Knights of Columbus and Theresa, who served formerly as the president of the Marengo Chamber of Commerce, is St. Patrick’s representative on the Marengo ministerial Alliance. Through the years, they’ve been involved in community events ranging from Marengo’s Third of July celebration to hosting RAGBRAI. They also enjoyed an annual tradition of coming to work in costumes at Halloween, with their employees joining them in the fun.

The couple don’t have any immediate plans for retirement but look forward to traveling and spending time with family. They have a daughter, Jennifer Fencl, and husband Blair, and their children, Mariah and Kaleb, and a son, Matt Ryan, with children, Luke, twins Grace and Hannah, a stepson, Max, and a stepdaughter, Colette.

Upon the pharmacy’s closing, all Peterson customer files have been transferred to Cornerstone Pharmacy, Marengo.